[SFDXA] SOME ADDITIONAL COMMENT- An Alternative for alerting the Club on DX

[Sebastian, W4AS]

I really like the idea of text messages sent to a cellphone.  Today you can even use free services such as Google Voice, if you don't want to pay for text message service from your cell provider.

As someone else mentioned, you already have an email address from your cell provider.  So instead of giving a web site your normal email for propagation warnings, etc., use you cell's email address, and it will come in as a text message.  Your carrier won't charge you for that.

Here's an idea for club members that can be utilized by anyone, even if they don't have a cellphone.  All they need is the ability to send email.  Let's say you hear a rare DX, you announce it on the repeater, perhaps via telephone, etc.  But how often are many of us away from the radio and the landline, yet have your cell with you?  An email is sent the instance you hit send,  and is converted by the carrier as a text message immediately.

But that only goes to one person, which is not really the intent.  If the club had a domain and a mail server, it would be simple.  Anyone would send an email to (for example) dxalert at sfdxa.org, and the mail server would forward that email to a list of recipients.  The email addresses would be the cell phone addresses, and everyone would get the same text message.

We can do that now at no cost even without a club domain.  I took the liberty to create an email address on Google.  The account is sfdxalerts at gmail.com.

If there is interest, any club member would send an email with a ==CERTAIN SUBJECT== to that address, and it will be immediately forwarded to your cell phone's address, which in turn will be converted to a text message.  All of this will happen in seconds, you don't have to wait for an email, and you don't have to be at your computer, just have your phone with you.

I'll be glad to set it up, or I'll give that account's password to any member that is interested in implementing.  

All that is needed is your cell phone number, and the name of the carrier (AT&T, T-mobile etc.).

This can even be expanded to send a text message reminding about the next meeting, or other business.

Of course, we could use ham radio...

73 de Sebastian, W4AS



On Sep 10, 2012, at 5:16 PM, Norman Alexander <npalex at bellsouth.net> wrote:

> 
> 
> It is interesting that there may be other alternatives to the one suggested, however there is a contextual element that I think triggered the suggestion I sent around.  In better times a band opening, for a much needed DX country was announced on the 
> 'repeater' or later via local Packet albeit maybe after the announcing station had worked the DX.  (part of DX Hog criteria). This to was often supplemented with a phone call.  
> 
> With the advent of internet and DX spotting nets both repeater announcements and packet have fallen to the wayside.  But as useful as Spotting Nets are, they usually require being present to view the information.  Although several now provide for an email, and other alerting means which enhances their functionality.  Also as stated by other comments here, there are smart phone apps that allow direct monitoring of Spotting nets.  
> 
> This 'mobile' capability although useful, typically leaves out one very important bit of information and that is, it is being heard and worked by a fellow group member.  The advantage of using the group text message then is two fold, one, they know the station is/was readable in the area, as the information is localized.  Secondly because the member station who worked the rare DX, did not have to make a spot announcement to reach not only his group, but the much broader audience that would be reached and thereby increasing the competition.
> 
> There is a surprisingly large number of hams in this 'greater' South Florida area who are active and work a lot of DX, I see their spots and sometimes hear them in the pile-ups, many (maybe most) are not club members but also many are former club members.   As was suggested, a scheme such as this 'group twitter texting' could be a vehicle to attract these active DXers into being part of the 'DX Twits Group' thus enhance the chances of all of us working a needed DX station.
> 
> I would ask the members reading this to think about how and what tools, system or devices could we use to broaden our reach to active DXer's, maintain some exclusivity so  as to benefit the participating group,  promote SFDXA,  and hopefully increase our ranks of active DX hams.  
>  
> Regards,
> 
> Norm W4QN